Love Wasn't Enough
by acochran5
Summary: In a relationship going downhill. He with a cold understanding and she with reluctant acceptance, they both knew love wasn't enough. (Slight Jerza, AU,) COMPLETE


**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairytail.**

**Warnings: AU, divorce, angst, etc.**

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Some relationships just don't work. Plain and simple. It didn't work for me, and it didn't work for him. I think we loved each other, at some point, back when we were teenagers just starting our relationship. But now, years later I wondered if it was truly more painful to separate from him, or to live in a loveless marriage. We always fought, shouting, arguing, sometimes about things I couldn't even remember when I woke up beside him the next morning. I tried to avoid him as much as I could, and I'm fairly sure he tried to do the same. When we were apart from one another, it was best for me and him, and of course the children too. That was probably the only reason I stayed with him, for the children. I knew they didn't like him sometimes, but he was their father and naturally they told me certain things and they told him certain things. I was loathed to deny them that choice. They didn't understand yet, but if I divorced my husband it would take a toll on them. I knew it would. To not be able to see your father every day… it was something I hadn't much thought about before.

He walked through the door at five o'clock that evening and the children ran to him. He scooped them up and smiled and laughed. His eyes landed on me and the expression didn't change. I came over as well and gently took his hand. He squeezed mine in return but it felt wrong, cold, like something that shouldn't happen. We waited until the children went to bed and our smiles slowly faded. We sat together in utter silence and I didn't want to say it, but it was on the tip of my tongue. "I… I don't think I can do this anymore, Jellal." I said to him quietly. My husband stayed silent, staring at the wall in front of him and the air between us stretched thin, crushing as I heard a million words floating in the air.

"I'm not sure I can either." He said at last.

"I don't want to do this to them, but I feel like the only time we talk we're arguing!" he nodded passively and clasped his hands together leaning forward, elbows on his knees.

"I agree."

It seemed to be the ONLY thing we could agree on. I didn't think this would ever happen to us. I gazed back on the old days in high school. We were so young and impressionable. They told us it wouldn't last and I was so proud to prove them wrong. So proud to have the ring slipped on my finger and so proud to have the love of my life leaning down to kiss me, lips warm and perfect, pressing to mine. I should've known it couldn't last. I should've known that all good things came to an end. But at the time I knew I had been thinking, 'anything but us. We could never end'. But we could, and we were. "I don't understand what went wrong." I said quietly. "I loved you so much."

"I loved you too."

"Then what happened!" I demanded, crawling towards him. "How did things become like this."

"Nothing." He said. "Nothing happened. You didn't do anything and neither did I. But love fades over time."

"No!" I argued. "It's passion that fades over time, love is forever!"

"Love is temporary." I stayed silent sitting back, disbelief in my chest. "Love… it isn't enough. You need balance, routine, you need communication, trust, and things in common. We don't have any of that Erza, and now that 'love' is being overrun by feelings of resentment and distrust."

"I don't hate you, Jellal."

"And I don't hate you either." He said. "But that's not enough. It's not enough not to hate, and it's not enough to love." It's not enough to love. The room fell silent and as the minutes ticked on I pretended to think, but really my mind was empty and my heart was pounding. "We can tell them tomorrow." I knew he was talking about the kids. I wasn't prepared for that. I'd never be prepared to sit them down and say we were separating, and that they wouldn't be able to see their daddy every day. I watched him leave and close the bedroom door behind him and soon after I couldn't help but cry. Everything was falling apart, everything was a disaster. I didn't want it to end like this, I loved the kids, I loved them so much. But it wasn't enough. I would always love them, but I couldn't allow my love to extend towards my husband. I'd never hate him, God I could never hate him. We'd been friends since forever, I knew him better than he knew himself and he probably felt the same about me. But it wasn't enough to keep kissing with no feelings of love attached. It wasn't enough to hold hands with a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach. It wasn't enough to yell when we weren't really mad. Love wasn't enough. It wasn't enough, it wasn't enough, it wasn't enough…

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**A/N Yes, yes, I know this isn't my usual type of fic but it came to me after some odd inspiration... but enough about that. I hope you enjoyed the fic and I hope I got the message across okay. This was not what I was planning to upload next but... yeah. "The Devil and Me" AND "Operation: Catch a Dragneel" is still a thing! I have NOT forgotten about either of them! I just can't promise when they will be updated. Thanks for reading reviews are appreciated. I'll see you soon, bye!**


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